Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo evaluates digital transition and history

The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) is navigating the long-term implications of the shift toward virtual education following the COVID-19 pandemic. Research into the university's digital transition highlights a significant adaptation by faculty, who integrated tools such as Moodle, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to move beyond traditional lecturing toward roles as facilitators and learning designers. However, this transition also revealed critical challenges, including connectivity issues, unequal access to devices, increased workloads, and diminished interaction between students and professors.

Historically, the UASD holds deep institutional significance as the first university in the Americas, founded in 1538 as the University of Santo Tomas Aquinas. Originally established by the Dominican Order and later granted Royal and Pontifical status, the institution transitioned into a secular state entity in 1914. Since the inauguration of its University City in 1947, the institution has served as a primary pillar for professional higher education in the Dominican Republic.